9 Ups And 6 Downs From WWE Raw (Feb 17)

4. ‘Back In My Day…’

That’s about what Charlotte Flair sounded like when she gave her reason for accepting Rhea Ripley’s challenge for the NXT Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 36.

Flair jumped Ripley after the champ’s title defense at TakeOver: Portland Sunday night, but Monday, she spoke about why she agreed to fight for the NXT title. Charlotte said she was reminiscing about the challenges and growing pains she faced when she was in NXT, talked about how her group helped build the black-and-gold brand into what it is today, and then unleashed on Ripley.

Charlotte – a woman who calls herself The Queen, makes referees hold the ropes open for her, and talks constantly about how (admittedly) great she is – said that Rhea’s “entitlement” bothered here. She was bugged by Ripley not being appreciative enough of what Flair and others had built up for her, and that she had the “audacity” to show up on Raw with the NXT women’s title.

It’s a nice little story there, casting Flair as the in-her-prime veteran trying to knock the brash upstart off her perch. But there’s also a “grumpy old woman” vibe. You almost expect Charlotte to tell Rhea to get off her lawn.